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Wanted: Techies in the military

With growing fears over cyber warfare – hacking computer networks to cause damage or disruption – federal lawmakers are trying to attract more tech-savvy workers to the military. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the committee has included a special provision in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act to recruit technology experts from the private sector to boost national security.

The Cyberspace Warriors Act would establish a U.S. Cyber Command and cyber components in each of the four services. It would require independent research stipulating cyber-security personnel recruitment, training and retention.

“Cyber warfare is an emerging threat that could affect every aspect of our national and economic security,” Gillibrand said. “Terrorists could shut down electric grids in the middle of winter, zero-out bank accounts or take down a stock exchange, causing an unimaginable amount of disruption and harm. Meanwhile, many of the best and brightest in information technology work in the private sector. We need to ensure that the U.S. military has the resources to recruit and retain these talented individuals to protect our national security.”